Any joint that butts end grain to end grain will be weak because you're gluing wood fibers at their porous ends instead of along their sides. (Picture trying to glue two drinking straws together at their ends instead of along their sides.) Fortunately, you can strengthen end-to-end joints for those rare occasions when they're necessary, such as connecting two pieces of crown molding on a long wall, or making the most of pieces that are too short for your project but too long to scrap.

Boiled down to basics, you must either add reinforcements, such as plates, dowels, or screws, or cut the joint in a way that creates mechanical strength and exposes more face or edge grain for a stronger bond, such as the finger joint, shown at right. Check out these eight solutions, from basic to beautiful.

curiously he only mentions finger joints in passing. He provides some detail for 8 other ways to end join wood.
I saw an old barn years ago on a family homestead(for real) that was hand cut in a floor beam that was a dazzler. can't describe other than it was keyed so once the key was pushed in the joint was tight and required no other fasteners. The endless variety of techniques is why this makes such a great hobby or vocation. One never runs out of things to try.

The only way I'm aware to make them is with a router bit. Same for dowels. Dowell jigs are abundant. I have the first I used that was made by a Master Tool & Die maker for my Dad at least 65 years ago. I have several more "fool proof" ones but still avoid dowels when ever I can as I still can't seem to get satisfactory alignment. Commercial finger joints I see are usually in molding stock and finished door and frame units.

Thank you rbtpartman. I agree with your comment. Part of what makes a good woodworker (also true of any other trade) is to be creative and resourceful. To insist that someone provide EVERYTHING every time someone writes something is rather ludicrous.

And you really can't just search Wood Magazine's excellent online site to find articles on Finger joints ? We are woodworkers after all. We don't have to have every little skill in a "link". Very easy to find out simple finger joint instructions online, in past magazines, from a friend.... Simply not fair to call the suggestion basically worthless because they don't put a link in the article.